“KPop Demon Hunters was a launchpad for me to be more confident in telling authentic stories, which is something I’ve always struggled with,” says Kevin Woo, who played villainous group Saja Boys’ smirking backup vocalist Mystery Saja in the Netflix hit.
Born and raised in California before moving to South Korea aged 15 to train as a K-pop idol, Woo never felt like he “belonged” in either country. That changed after the award-winning animated musical, which is also the most-watched Netflix original of all time, was embraced by a global audience. See, KPop Demon Hunters may feature all-singing, all-dancing monsters and a plucky girl group out to protect the world using the power of their voices, but co-writer and director Maggie Kang wanted to make the movie feel “as Korean as possible” – from the synchronised “Kalgunmu” dance routines to the bricks that make up Bukchon Hanok Village, which is where the members of HUNTR/X meet for the first time.
The positive reaction to KPop Demon Hunters inspired Woo to pursue authenticity with his latest project, a collaboration with multiplayer survival horror game Dead By Daylight. Launched back in 2016, Dead By Daylight players can take on the role of a killer and hunt down innocent victims to appease a malevolent force known as The Entity – or they can work with other survivors to escape a grisly end. Woo voices new survivor Kwon Tae-Young, but he’s also recorded an intense new anthem to celebrate the crossover.
‘No Escape’ is a high-tempo dance track that’s as catchy as it is terrifying. “I wanted to implement everything that I love about K-pop, electronic music and horror,” Woo tells NME over Zoom. “We want it to feel like you are in the game when you are listening to the track,” with Woo making sure his vocals sounded like he’d just been running for his life before delivering the ominous chorus: “There’s no escape / save your breath.”
Recorded in Los Angeles with super producer Damon Sharpe (Ariana Grande, Kylie Minogue), ‘No Escape’ introduces players to Dead By Daylight’s new K-pop-inspired ‘All Kill: Comeback’ update. “We really wanted to bring the K-pop feel with this song,” says Woo, who debuted as part of boy group XING in 2006 before joining U-KISS two years later and going solo in 2018. “It needed to sound like what other groups from South Korea are making. I made sure to put in Korean language lyrics as well because I strongly believe in staying true to myself as a Korean-American.”
His tech savvy survivor Kwon Tae-Young also has English and Korean dialogue in the game. “I love how K-pop has become this global genre but there are a lot of songs that are completely in English. It’s something I’ve done as a solo artist too but when we’re creating worlds that are reaching audiences who don’t know much about Korean culture, it’s important we stay true to its roots,” he explains.
Kevin Woo’s Kwon Tae-Young in ‘Dead By Daylight’. CREDIT: 505 Games
The most challenging part of working on Dead By Daylight was all the screaming. “I’m used to perfecting my vocals to create a pleasant-sounding K-pop song,” grins Woo. “With Dead By Daylight, it’s the imperfections that are key to bringing this story to life. I had to learn how to strip things back and exist in that vulnerable state of pain and suffering.”
Woo first got involved with Dead By Daylight in 2021 when he was hired as a consultant on the game’s first K-pop-inspired ‘All Kill’ chapter. He helped with dialogue, in-game locations and the creation of the knife-wielding menace The Trickster. “I was involved in shaping his emotional identity – his ego, his obsession with artistry, and the narcissistic rage simmering beneath his polished idol exterior,” Woo told IGN recently.
The fan-favourite baddie was a K-pop idol who used samples of tortured civilians to create hits after his former bandmates perished in a fire. “I wasn’t playing Dead By Daylight before but as I got into the world-building with the team, I became a huge fan. I love all things horror.” He still plays it regularly but also fires up Mario Kart when he needs a breather from murderous multiplayer games.
In the new update, his character Kwon Tae-Young gets transported to the world of Dead By Daylight after creating virtual KPop idol MiNA, who’s heavily inspired by The Trickster. “To be chased by someone you’ve studied deeply, it’s horrifying,” says Woo. “It’s such a compelling backstory though,” exploring the ambition, intensity and constant drive for perfection that defines K-pop.
The experience has inspired his own solo material. “I normally take influences from R&B, pop, dance and KPop but after ‘No Escape’, there was something about electronic music that spoke to me,” says Woo. “Ever since KPop Demon Hunters and [Saja Boys’ sugary] ‘Your Idol’, I’ve also been more interested in exploring darker themes and stories. People seem to really connect to those heavier songs and I’ve felt really inspired to play around with that. I wouldn’t be doing that without those projects.” Woo also wants to experiment with more “upbeat” electronic dance songs, inspired by his love of DJ titans Steve Aoki, Tiesto, Calvin Harris and the newer generation of club heroes – John Summit, Luxxury and Meduza.
Kevin Woo’s Dead By Daylight collab comes as KPop Demon Hunters fever shows no signs of slowing down. The film picked up two awards at the Oscars over the weekend and a sequel has just been green-lit.
“It’s been a whirlwind and we’re still riding it,” says Woo. “I’ve been in the world of K-pop since the early 2000s and I’m surprised by how far the movie has taken things. It felt like with BLACKPINK, Stray Kids and BTS, we’d reached the [peak] of K-pop’s popularity around the world but Demon Hunters has taken it to a whole other level of exposure. It’s been pretty mind-blowing. “
“We’re seeing more authentic stories in film, TV, music and gaming – and I want to keep pushing those boundaries,” says Woo, who also starred in Anderson .Paak’s 2026 comedy drama K–Pops! alongside the musician and his son, Soul Rasheed. “Everyone is aware of the music but with K–Pops!, we get to see how the genre evolved through the decades, how it was heavily inspired by Black artists in the hip-hop and R&B scenes, and how there’s just so much crossover between the two cultures,” says Woo. “Anderson did such a wonderful job of blending those two worlds with so much heart. The music is the backbone of the movie but it’s really a film about family, love and following your passions.”
Speaking of which, Woo is also working on a feature-length version of his 2025 short film Seoul Switch, which was written by Liann Kaye. “It’s a story about my upbringing as an insecure Korean-American boy,” says Woo, who plays both the uncertain college student and the superstar K-pop idol who agree to switch places and explore what it’s like living in each other’s shoes for a bit. A few years ago, he’d have never pursued the project “but the success of KPop Demon Hunters has really helped me be [comfortable] in my own skin.”
“Now, I just want to see more representation. For anyone who wants to showcase their culture, I feel like now is the time.”
‘Dead By Daylight – All Kill: Comeback’ update is out now
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